At one of The Weather Station’s live shows in early 2016, audiences were treated to one of the quietest shows they’d probably ever experienced. Tamara Lindemann had just released Loyalty in 2015, and her performance of its soft, folksy songs was sparse. She had a band with her, but the focus was on her and her guitar. Now, following the release of her excellent new self-titled record, Lindemann has created a different kind of show to suit the punk rock sensibilities of her new songs. At a recent show at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade on November 28th, it was all about the guitars, and Lindemann had transformed from the soft-spoken songstress to a full blown front woman of a rock band, strong and self-assured.
While the new album is, in true Lindemann fashion, lyrically complex and dense, there was less of an emphasis on hearing every word at her show. She played her guitar with a laser focus, and while it was at times, too loud to hear her vocals, it sounded damn good. Her confidence as a guitar player seems to have improved since her last tour, which feels fitting given the overall sense of confidence that comes across on the new record. Lindemann self-produced and arranged all of The Weather Station, and that control over her work is evident in her live performance. These songs feel so fully her own.
Standouts included a more rock and roll version of “Free”, the intricate and nostalgic “Thirty”, and the swooning “You and I (On the Other Side of the World)”. Fans rejoiced to hear songs off her old records, too, like Loyalty’s addicting “Way It Is, Way It Could Be”. But this show was a magnificent showcase of the new Weather Station sound – badass and self-assured.
